[W]hen Jesus interacted with people who had misunderstood something he’d said, either in Scripture or in person, he never blamed the Word of God for being unclear, confusing, or obscure. Instead, he always said it was something to do with the readers or hearers.
—Andrew Wilson, One Bible, Many Interpretations
As we noted at the start of this course, it is possible to misunderstand the Bible because our hearts refuse to see what is there—namely, Jesus. This is, first and foremost, the way our interpretation can be evil. John Piper develops this reality further.
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.
—Matthew 16:1-4
...we are lovers of blindness.
John Piper in A Peculiar Glory
Other Reasons for Misinterpreting the Bible
But there also are other ways in which our interpretation can go amiss. For no one understands naturally. Again, this is not because of a defect in the Book, but because of the defect of sin with which we are born. Let’s examine two additional biblical reasons for misinterpretation.
Treating the Bible like a crystal ball
You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.
—Leviticus 19:26b
We have already made clear in this course that our concern is with interpreting the Bible alone. So you may ask why this verse is relevant.
It is relevant because many people look to the Scriptures for omens and fortunes—they open the Bible in search of a personal sign, uninterested in the message of the text itself. What they do not realize is that in doing so they turn God’s self-revelation into a tool for witchcraft. Such a thing is evil, utterly distorts meaning, and “shall not” be done.
Slowness in faith
And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
—Luke 24:25-27
In this familiar passage, the risen Jesus is speaking to two of his disciples. Without recognizing Jesus, they recounted to him the crucifixion, followed by the missing body and the women’s report that Jesus was alive. But they did not believe it. They were not yet interpreting these facts as indicating that Jesus had truly risen because they were not yet interpreting the Bible they knew so well to be promising such a thing.
Why? Jesus tells us the reason. They did not refuse to believe like the Jewish leaders, but they were slow to believe. They were skeptical and resistant. They apparently believed some of what was written in the Prophets, but were not ready to embrace all of it with their whole heart. And this made them foolish, skewing their understanding. This unbelief prevented them from seeing the glory of Jesus in the Scriptures.
What Is the Point?
Throughout this course, we are going to be examining principles for seeking a right understanding of the Scriptures. However, most foundational to understanding is not our hermeneutic, but our hearts. So regularly check your heart. Is it open? What is it after? Is there faith?